YouTube Isn’t Opening in Pakistan Anytime Soon: Officials

Reports that we are getting from Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, Ministry of IT and Telecom and from what it appears from Google’s stiff position and decision for not deleting anti-Islam video or even blocking its access locally in Pakistan, we are somewhat certain that YouTube isn’t getting unbanned in the country anytime soon.

PTA and MoIT officials, during their interviews with ProPakistani, were determined that YouTube will remain blocked unless Google decides to take the video offline – internationally or at least locally in Pakistan – since the decision is covered by a court order.

PTA officials, who wanted to remain unnamed, told me that procedures were initiated to get the video clips blocked in Pakistan, but YouTube didn’t respond positively as Pakistan has no legal control over the company.

When asked if MLAT (Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty) – an agreement between two countries for gathering, exchanging and enforcing public and criminal laws – is an obstacle because Pakistan hasn’t signed MLAT with USA, the PTA officials explained that USA doesn’t have MLAT with Libya, Indonesia or Singapore too, where the company chose to block the video due to US government pressure or on-ground offices in those states.

PTA officials said that countries, where Google has its physical presence or has infrastructure (datacenters) in place, were better positioned to get the movie clips blocked.

“Unlike Google, Facebook had removed the blasphemous content from its website for users in Pakistan and was hence unblocked after two weeks in 2010. Google, however, has decided otherwise and this is why it will remain blocked until it acts”, the official said.

When asked about the future of YouTube in Pakistan, PTA officials said that Google will have to play sensibly by removing the video clips from its website if it wants to retain its customers in Pakistan.

“Prime Minister will not order the restoration of YouTube, unless the anti-Islam video is accessible in Pakistan”, confirmed us an MoIT official who is keeping a close eye on the whole situation. Statement of MoIT official made more sense at a time when PPP government is facing reputation issues and is vigorously preparing itself for next general elections.

YouTube ban has disrupted variety of other Google services, causing serious performance issues for individuals and businesses in the country. Android, Google’s mobile operating system, is so badly impacted that almost no service, including Gmail, Maps, Contact Sync, Play Store, is functional making all Android devices almost useless. There are sorts of Google’s web services also not accessible to users in Pakistan due to YouTube ban.

Aamir Attaa

Tech reporter with over 10 years of experience, founder of ProPakistani.PK

zeeshan

Because of Youtube Android Devices can’t even access Play Store, Not even Gmail :( very sad moment

A lot. Youtube is banned in several muslim non muslim countries and Apple have also decreased youtube business by removing their apps from devices.

uansari1

Apple’s decision has nothing to do with the video in question. In fact, Google has released a YouTube app into Apple’s App Store, so there’s no issue there. Also, Google isn’t losing much revenue on YouTube in Pakistan… the largest disruption is to users of Android handsets like me. Thanks to the Paki gov’t, I can’t even update my apps on the Play Store.

not really. in most places only the video is banned. so they are not affected as much and they dont consider pakistan a large enough market yet. Hence there is no physical presence of google here. Most of their incomes from europe and the US.

Pakistan is not a big market for them but those business companies can’t ignore Pakistan.

Russia is also considering action against youtube for the favour of Russian Muslims.

Shahid Saleem

Paypal can ignore us. Paypal is big.

You have such a high opinion of how “important” we are. Three weeks of Youtube banned, and Google has not blinked. Have you seen an official statement about us from Google? Nope. Have you heard of any unofficial discussion between the ministry and Google? None initiated from Google’s end.

Muhammad

Because we DON”T have high opinion about ourselves is the EXACT reason why OTHERS don’t have high opinion for us.

Observe expats from other nationalities in UAE, UK and US, they don’t belittle their own country as mush as we do. Although sometimes I know for a fact that their country is in far worse conditions in specific area.

People who have not observed this in foreign lands will not be able to comprehend my argument.

Muhammad

Russian court has already in favor of the Muslims.

Saad Durrani

I think you fail to follow up news my friend. Russia is not going to block YouTube any time soon.

Everyone knows that our government/army supports the drone attacks. It is cheaper and easier to let US drones attack a few select targets in FATA. That way: 1. none of our military gets killed. 2. it’s cheap (we’re not paying for the drones).

Then our army and government turns around and condemns the attacks in the local media. Who are they fooling?

Shittygoogleowner

bcoz of this youtube ban, google dictionary (by google), its a chrome extention is also not working, b4 youtube ban it was working flawlessly.

Azeem

Google Tranalste working perfectly at this time but picasaweb.google.com note working good

Saeen

good in fact it should not be open till youtube removes all such data/material, guarantees via their internal policy/law changes that in future no such content will be posted.

Such content is posed very often. People who defend argue in favour of Islam on the internet know that this drama is very intentional.

Shahid Saleem

I keep asking such “defenders” when people did NOT abuse our Prophet or religion from the year 614 til today. No answer. That cannot answer the obvious question: non-Muslims have been abusing our Prophet, our religion, our people for almost 1600 years straight.

And only now they “wake up” because of cartoons and videos. And show their STRENGTH and POWER and do what? destroy property owned by Muslims. Kill innocent Muslims. This is not a protest. This is ignorance.

Muhammad

If defenders argument is weak so is yours.

If Muhammad PBUH has been insulted for so long, does that mean we should “ignore” it? Can you do the same when someone you love is constantly insulted by the media or somebody?

I am sure you’ll have a voice against it. That what other people have done in the past namely the Jews and the African Americans,.

Why do we see Anti Jewish Materials taken down on weekly basis? Because JEWS have worked on it my man.

Why can’t you openly discuss “criminal” tendencies in black community of US? Why can’t the Americans no longer make racist policies for the blacks? Because they have worked on it.

Muslims do NOT need to protest violentaly to this but they DO need to protest in other ways. Learn from the JEWS

Shahid Saleem

*Can you do the same when someone you love is constantly insulted by the media or somebody?*

Can you do one thing? FOLLOW OUR PROPHET’S EXAMPLE. Seems like I am trying to do that. What are you trying to do?

*Why do we see Anti Jewish Materials taken down on weekly basis? *

How do you see that? Is it because you POST them? Ha ha!

*Muslims do NOT need to protest violentaly to this but they DO need to protest in other ways. Learn from the JEWS* Well, it has been over a month and everyone in the world can see what effect the “ban” has had. Please explain why continuing the ban will affect Youtube. It does not seem like it’s hurting them AT ALL.

What a bunch of bull crap! Every one is going on about how good this ban is and blah blah blah! Wake UP! The is one video that is not to our taste and absolutely infuriating to us but on the same directory there are TONS n TONS of Islamic videos/lectures/infotainment videos. This goes to Prove how DUMB every one is! Google is not going to remove anything. It may if the US government court gives such an order.

This situation is sort of like that in a library there is one paragraph that is unacceptable and every one is saying BAN the library! PATHETIC!

Rehman Malik hence is proven to be from our nation as he has the same answer to problems when he shuts down our mobile network due to his governments incapability. There is no way ahead for Pakistan if this is how our nation thinks.

Absolutely disgraceful! “We cant pray five times a day or read the Quran on daily basis but are emotionally activated in the name of religion. We have become exactly what our beloved Prophet Salalahu Alehi Wasalm has taught us not to be!

A Nation of Fools, Mushriks, Hypocrates.

Nauman

Totally agree with you, exactly my feelings. We are nothing but a bunch of emotional fools……

Muhammad

Agree with some of you points. But Google DID remove the video for many countries. Brazil, Singapore, India, and now Russia.

I am sure no one wants Youtube to be banned, they JUST want the specific video blocked. Youtube is blocked because of their non compliance to Pakistani requests.

Muhammad Haris

On VPN you can use you tube and other google services….otherwise its good step by PTA..keep it blocked untill content gets removed

Wow, the hypocrisy is strong with this one. Tell Google you are boycotting its services with a ban till it agrees to your demands/respects your religious sensibilities…then sneak back in to use those services.

Shahid Saleem

You expect logic in Pakistan???

Stone

The crappy filtering system has been fixed a bit and Google services are now accessible including play store, maps and gmail. They are working like crap though

Some People Like Me, Who Learn Or Take Guidance From You Tube Video Tutorials ( Example Sometimes Facing Any Windows Or Mobile Related Problem / Introductory Video About Any Product Or Gadget Etc. ) Are Facing Problem Because Of This Ban.

Sometimes Video Helps Me A Lot, Rather Than Reading A Detailed Article ( And Following Procedure When Needed ).

Muhammad Uzair

The point is has our government FORMALLY requested google administration to block the video in Pakistan?? As there seems to be no reason for google to not comply with the government’s request, since it has already blocked the video in some countries.

Shahid Saleem

No, they skipped that step and went directly to asking Youtube to take the video offline, which Youtube obviously will not do. Why? It is near election time in Pakistan and the goverment wants to appear as if it is doing the right thing. Even though the end result is everyone in Pakistan suffering.

Today youtube worked for me for a short while and the first video I watched was a lecture by a Muslim scholar — that was on my youtube “front” page.

thanks a lot to pta he block the youtube now the internet speed is very faster

thanks a lot to pta

wasta pyar da

This is BS. Pakistan needs to realize they are depriving Millions of people from listening to Zakir Naik and other great Islamic videos over ONE 14 minute useless homemade video. Pakistani government is being daft.

And the Pakistanis all for the ban need to grow a brain and figure out it is OUR loss, not anybody else’s. We use Youtube as a resource of Islamic Education.

Unban Youtube in Pakistan!

wasta pyar da

There are MORE videos on Youtube Praising the Prophet(Saw) than degrading him. This isn’t about the Prophet(saw) anymore. It is all political. Pakistan needs to realize they don’t have a backbone in this fight. Being stubborn about your own loss is being stupid. UNBAN YOUTUBE IN PAKISTAN!

Why don’t Pakistan Ban the ENTIRE internet? If they can Ban the Entire Youtube for a 14 mins BS video, why can’t they ban the Entire Internet for even ONE single article against the Prophet(Saw)?!? You see? It makes absolutely no sense at all.

Malik Abid Shahzad Awan

If Google didn’t remove the content even forcing by US officials. It clearly states that US officials pressure was also a drama. Pakistan’s GOVT should have banned NATO supplies besides banning the Google. And then the results will be immediate. US knows that NATO supply is more important then any thing else at least for these days. But how we can hope for such acts from our corrupt politicians, especially when all of there money is in the foreign banks. And they are nothing more then puppet of US.

S Qureshi

Just Blocking youtube.com is not enough. innocence of Muslims (video) is still running on many site like dailymotion.com & others and many of p2p sharing sites like thepiratebay.se and much more. so kindly block them all or unblock google services. thanks.

Govt of Pakistan must ban the rest of Google in Pakistan , we do not need any of them ,

Smart Boy

If You Want to open Youtube Directly without any installation then Contact with Me 0315-2405552

None of yo business

just open it already internet is miserable wihout it !

Saad

Hahahahahaha on you all!!!!

Saad

I say it should remain banned in Pakistan and other Muslim countries should completely ban youtube. Its mandatory for us to speak against anyone who speaks ill against our prophet if we are to remain in the boundaries of Islam we need to speak up at the very least.

hasan

PTA is right ,,,if youtube will not banned or bolck this videos in pakistan i dont think it should be open ,,for videos go to meta cafe ……..BANNED YOUTUBEBAN YOUTUBE

Sea Kib

Fuck U Pakistan!!!

Blocking youtube…U bitch

Sea Kib

Fuck Pakistan

Programmer

We can teach Google a lesson, just gather some software guys Govt, we can deliver a system that replace every Google Ad with a local Ad, cut their life line (income) teach them a lesson.

sarosg

youtube is back!

haroon gul

i’m a pakistani but i spit on pakistan for being the most hypocrite “munafiqeen” in all mankind..and yes i have played medal of honor and black ops a million times..and also we can watch youtube in billion other ways..so you all can shove the ban up yourz!